PARIS: One of the three candidate cities – Doha, Barcelona and Eugene, will get the nod to host the 2019 Athletics World Championships today when International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) meets in Monaco.
Doha are back for a fresh bid having missed out to London for the 2017 edition, but did successfully stage the 2006 Asian Games.
The Catalan capital Barcelona was put on the map by staging the 1992 Olympic Games and has since staged the 2010 and 2012 junior world athletics championships.
The fact that athletics superpower the United States has never hosted the event would have to favour Eugene’s bid.
The city is in the Pacific Northwest in the state of Oregon and is sometimes referred to as Track Town USA, because of its strong history of track and field events. The 2015 world championships take place in Beijing from August 22-30, while the London 2017 event is also scheduled for August.
It may be recalled that the IAAF’s Evaluation Committee for the 2019 World Athletics Championships, made a two-day visit to Doha late last month.
After the conclusion of busy trip, Lord Sebastian Coe, the Chairman of the body had said the proposed September-October dates ‘offered’ by the Doha Bid File suits the athletic family.
“The window (September-October) that has been offered is one that the IAAF have accepted, so our (evaluation) report will be based on the championship that is offered to us at that stage of the season,” said Coe, the double Olympic 1500 metres champion.
“We are looking for a city that understands why it wants to host those Games. And listening to the athletes (Mutaz Barshim and Mariam Farid) it was very clear what they think these Games can do for athletics – not just in Qatar but in this region,” added the 58-year-old. AGENCIES
